An ethoxylated 12-hydroxystearic acid, used as an emulsifier.
What it is
PEG-15 hydroxystearate is the polyethylene glycol ester of 12-hydroxystearic acid, a hydroxylated C18 fatty acid, with an average of 15 ethylene oxide units. CosIng lists it as an emulsifying surfactant.
Where it is used
Appears on the ingredient lists of a small number of products.
Limits of interpretation
The INCI list shows which ingredients are present, not how much of each. Above 1%, ingredients are listed in descending order of weight; below 1% the order is free.
The number 15 is an average, so the raw material is a mixture of molecules of different sizes.
Functions
- Surfactant – emulsifying
- Helping suspensions or dispersions of liquids in a second liquid by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.
EU regulation
This ingredient is not listed in the annexes of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 in the CosIng data.